UN and IOM deceive world on Tamil IDP resettlement

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 25 September 2012, 19:16 GMT]While the Eezham Tamil survivors of the genocidal war, herded into barbed-wire camps three years ago, are now dumped against their wishes into shelters and jungle tracts forced onto them after their fertile lands and homes are grabbed by the occupying military, the United Nations and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) entered into a deceptive campaign in favour of the genocidal state on Tuesday that all the IDPs have now returned to their ‘homes’. "These families wanted to go home and IOM, in partnership with the UN and the humanitarian community, has helped them to do so in safety and dignity,” the IOM was cited saying on the closure of the last IDP camp, while the UN welcomed it as a “significant sign of the transition from conflict to sustainable peace” and fulfilment of the “commitment of the Government to resettling tens of thousands of people back to their homes.”

On Monday evening, the people of Keappaa-pulavu village, the last inmates of the Cheddi-ku’lam IDP camp were brought to a school building at Vattaap-pazhai and from there, they were immediately dumped in a plot of land at a place called Choori-puram.

The Sri Lanka Army will not give their village Keappaa-pulavu back to them, they were told by the occupying military.

They were also threatened that if they don’t accept what is given to them now, they would not get anything at all.

On Sunday night, while sleeping under trees of the dismantled IDP camp at Cheddi-ku’lam, the people helplessly watched their belongings transported by heavy vehicles to an unknown destination.

On Monday after transported to Vattaap-pazhai by buses, they were told that their belongings had gone to Choori-puram and they should go there, the place designated for them by the SL military.

Fearing the loss of even their little belongings, most of the people went to the Choori-puram plot against their will. There were not even potable water facilities.

They have been told that they would not get any further ‘humanitarian’ assistance.

What happened to the Keappaa-pulavu people was the routine way of ‘resettlement’ by the genocidal state of Sri Lanka in the occupied country of Eezham Tamils.

The helpless plight of the subjugated people leading them towards a future structural genocide was always highlighted as a ‘significant humanitarian achievement’ by the SL government and the international agencies that uphold the genocidal state.

None of them think of restoring the sovereignty of the affected nation of people to rebuild themselves with their own choice and dignity.

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The IOM on Monday claimed that it had helped the last 251 families in the IDP camp to “voluntarily’ return to their homes in Mullaiththeevu district.”

The move, funded by the Government of Japan and in close coordination with the UN, NGOs and the government, marks the end of an IOM operation in the island, an IOM press release said on Tuesday, adding that the home area of the IDPs has now been demined and is suitable for habitation.

Other activities implemented by IOM through this programme include livelihood support to former Tamil Tiger (LTTE) soldiers and other conflict-affected individuals, training and career guidance for youth, support to psychosocial services and community development, the press release further said.

The IOM officials in collaboration with the SL military were recently harassing the former LTTE members to return the ID cards the IOM had earlier provided to them certifying their formal release. This has jeopardized the security and prospects of the released cadres in several ways.

The brutal and shadow activities of the IOM in favour of the establishments and against Eezham Tamils were exposed even in on an earlier occasion related to ship refugees, commented Eezham Tamil activists.

Echoing the IOM in welcoming the resettlement hoodwink, but with a compromise that will not in any way change the fundamentals of Tamil subjugation, the UN on Tuesday said that “there are still some people who are unable to return to their homes and a solution urgently needs to be found.”

“While these last residents have not been able to return to their former land the Government is providing them with land in another area The Government is looking for solutions but it is important that the displaced people should be able to make an informed and voluntary decision about their future including being part of the planning and management of their resettlement,” said the UN Humanitarian Coordinator in Colombo, Mr Subinay Nandy, in a press statement of the UN.

How ‘voluntary’ decisions are thrust onto subjugated Eezham Tamils in the island cannot be unknown to the UN that allowed the herding of 300,000 Eezham Tamils into barbed wire camps of their genocidal adversaries, humanitarian activists in the island responded to the Bengali UN official from Bangladesh.

The UN official was harping on the LLRC implementation.

“Allowing people to settle anywhere in the country and resolving legal ownership of land for those who have resettled away from their original homes is a key part of the reconciliation process,” the UN official’s statement reflects the thrust of the LLRC implementation that aims at the annihilation of the territoriality of the nation of Eezham Tamils, and legitimizes the land grab, demographic changes etc., carried out by the genocidal state and its military, responded Tamil political activists.

As usual the international media that earlier abetted the genocidal war now highlights only the Establishment’s picture on the resettlement hoodwink faced by Eezham Tamils.

Washington operates behind the IOM, informed circles say.

The International showcasing of the closure of camps, hurried dumping of the Tamil IDPs after grabbing whatever possible lands from them and all the other moves are ultimately heading towards US and India bailing out Sri Lanka in the world forums, while allowing it to complete the annihilation of the nation of Eezham Tamils, observed Tamil political activists in the island.